10 | THE RIGHT TO SCIENCE

Despite its significance for scientists and society, the right to science (RtS) has not received the attention it deserves. In this workshop, we wish to explore the history and content of the RtS. We also intend to examine its application to current issues in e.g. personalized medicine and to discuss its implications for science policy. The potential for the advancement of science is considerable, but the RtS also poses challenges. Scientific research depends upon the ability to examine, verify, and apply the findings of others. Increasing protections of intellectual property (IP) and (data) privacy threaten the scientific freedom to access the information necessary for research, especially in low-and-middle-income countries and among disadvantaged populations of high-income countries. In addition, much current scientific funding reflects the priorities of private corporations and their clients. Consequently, research addressing basic scientific questions and the needs of the less well-off makes up an ever-decreasing proportion of scientific efforts. These issues impede scientific progress, causing unnecessary and unjustified suffering. Debates concerning the fairness of these practices often attempt to establish a balance between profit and incentives for manufacturers and individual or public interest in accessing their products. The lack and underutilization of scientific evidence for some areas of policy-making prevent many from enjoying the benefits of scientific progress. Furthermore, the freedom necessary to conduct and disseminate research is sometimes threatened by political conflicts of interest, resulting in important advances being ignored or suppressed. Finally, the RtS will be considered from the perspective of intergenerational justice, taking into account need to ensure that scientific and technological developments contribute to the wellbeing of present and future generations in conformity with the UNESCO Declaration on the Responsibility of the Present Generations Towards Future Generations (1997).

The programme doesn't offer ECTS credits.

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